My gut churned, my head throbbed. Everything got whipped around and tossed in a turbulent sizzle of her arrival. Oh, Artemis. She answers me but I was too distracted to hear. One second it was too warm, the next too cold. The throbbing of my head worsens and hot, crimson liquid falls into the bodice of my dress. Oh, no. The rebelling wind prevents me from wiping the blood off my face and tosses the vile liquid around, similar to those movies in space.

It was like walking directly on the sun’s surface-- too bright, too hot. I could not open my eyes and breathing in singed my lungs. Dried blood caked my chin and then my ears started ringing and it seems like the brightness was put out like a candle. Now it was too dark, too cold.

Open your eyes, children. Artemis’ voice sounded like a very, very distant echo coming from the end of the longest tunnel. It sounded like from the ends of the earth but you can still hear it no matter how quiet.

I think I was the last to open my eyes. I touched my nose a millisecond before and felt that the dried blood nowhere to be found. Despite the turbulent trip, my hair stayed in place and my dress did not have a single wrinkle on it. Artemis stayed in the shadows. Our placement felt like she was behind the moon and the moon shined on us.

The moon was brilliant. Artemis’ pull on it is inevitable. I am mesmerized. The hidden Hunter in me was slowly unraveling, every stand of hair turning blonde and every fiber of my iris turning silver.

Speak, children. I could see Artemis move but her being in the shadows makes me unsure and uneasy.

“This is just a simple matter. We are capable of handling it.” Queen mother rescues the predicament. Artemis waited for the answer for a few long minutes and I felt like in that short time, I would spontaneously combust. Artemis or more precisely, her shadow moves. Stepping forward precisely and stopping after several inches. She raises her hand, the moon glints and winks in response. Come forward child.

Queen mother proceeds to lift her dress out from under her feet and step forward. A haunting chuckle fills the air and the wind rustles. The bare branches dance and the moon grow wider. Anything is possible with Artemis.

“Why is everybody not thinking? Danbi, come forward child.” Her voice becomes very real and physical then but she dials it down as soon as she mentions my name, like whispering a secret.

 I felt my feet dig up and loosen the dirt under me. I rest my palm on my heart and calm it’s thundering. I step forward. One step that I dare take, the next she stops me saying that that’s enough.

I want you to know the truth child because it is what you desire. I could hear the source of her voice coming from right next to my ear. I shiver and nod. Her shadow waves its arm and the moonlight flickers. I close my eyes, last drop of fear biting at me but it doesn’t matter. The truth cannot be escaped.

I saw everything. It was quiet liberating but the truth irked me. Zoe was telling the truth. She didn’t manipulate anyone. I shake my head. I am going to get punished again. But I spoke too soon, sure she didn’t manipulate the humans but she did manipulate the situation. If I fought with the males, she would alter it and the situation turns into a vague dream. My confrontation with Leo and Hakyeon are perfect examples.

Now did that sate your need for the truth? I nod plainly and step back. Her form seems to be growing by the second. Her bow and quiver of arrows went from assuring to menacing.

“Let me ask you a question.” Her voice possesses a hint of a playful tone, still distant but very much present.

Did my beloved brother pay you a visit? Her voice quiets down slowly, teasing the answer out of me. I nod again, simply not trusting my voice.

“What animal do you think suits you?” Her shadow grows and the moon shrinks slightly. I can feel her silver eyes dance against my form, searing my skin.

“But—“ I tremble, finding the right words and coaxing them out of my mouth. She is… turning me into an animal.

We discussed it for a while. My brother gave brilliant suggestions. I felt alone. Queen, queen mother and Zoe were just a few feet from me but now I felt like oceans were between us.

Her shadow splits. Right in the middle, each form now bearing a lung, an eye, a nostril and a hand and foot. The two shadows grow. I know one is Artemis, the other speaks and I conclude that it’s Apollo.

“Zebra. Gazelle. Sloth.” he smirks at that. Face unfurling the shadow his sister has created and emerges from the blanket of disguise.

“Why is he here?” The queen speaks for the first time. She felt the most brave, as I check over my shoulders. Her eyes were not cast down and her head was held proudly up.

“Oh, lovely queen. Shut up!” Apollo walks behind me, addressing the queen.

So…have you chosen, child? I felt Apollo’s eyes trained on my back. I shake my head. Of course not. I am not ready to be turned into an animal.

“Artemis, please. I did not—“

Child, I know your mind and your fragile heart. You did and we had a deal.

“I—I did not—“ I was whispering to myself, finding a way to end this nightmare. Nothing good came up. I’ll be forever walking on fours and worse, harm might come to the humans after that.

Child. Do not waste my time! Her voice booms, pushing me back a couple of inches. Now, pick!

I just look up to her shadow, contemplating between kneeling down and threatening to kill myself. You’re lucky you get to pick. The other ones, I decided for them. The echo of her words drip of acid.

My head shakes, I bite my lip so hard I should be drawing blood by now. Everything lines up and for once I am not confused. Queen mother’s warning from the start should have stopped me. I am not meant for immortality. My time is up, I should die. My hand closes on one of my knives. I grip it tightly and point the tip towards my neck so fast it draws blood before Apollo stopped me.

He twists my wrist and the knife falls to the ground. Artemis howls and Apollo confiscates my knife and the quiver of arrows.

Cute. You are brave, but when it comes to petty matters of the heart you are very fragile. There is no difference between your immortal and mortal heart. Weak! Easy to cave in and love. She utters the sentences mockingly at me, like those women in dramas.

“Let’s play a game.” Apollo taunts me as his foot comes down and bend my knives useless.

“No.” I stammer. “No. Please.” The two gods howl in laughter and delight. Apollo claps his hands and rests one cold hand on my shoulder.

Oh, I’m sure you will be delighted. Apollo squeezes my shoulder hard and forces me to kneel.

I could her scuffling sounds and tinkling sounds. I strain to look up but Apollo holds me down. I will help you, child but you have to cooperate.

I look up. The tinkling were chains, huge ones and the scuffling were feet. There were 9 pairs of feet, all connected by fat, rusty chains and they were all blindfolded.

“This will be fun.” Apollo removes their blindfolds, tossing the fabric away from us. The first one was Hyuk, he shook his head and eyes shifted looking for light.

He sees me, kneeling and he calls out to me. “Princess!”